It’s not spoken outside of education circles, but it’s known by every public school teacher and student: No matter how poorly a student performs in class, or assignments are missed, the student will never receive a zero.
It’s a hush-hush secret, but most of our local public school systems will not allow teachers to enter grades of zero for failing students. The lowest score entered into district electronic grade books for most systems is an arbitrary number between 50 and 55.
It means that a student who does not turn in an assignment will not receive a zero, but 50 or 55. instead. It also means that a student can goof off most of the year and in the last few weeks of school, score a few 80s or 90s, and still pass to the next grade without having mastered a teacher’s classroom curriculum.
Many students have learned to game the system. Some turn in no assignments, or even refuse to take tests, knowing that their lowest score will be 55. As the school year ends they know they will be given a few extra assignments or summer school, and magically they will pass to the next grade.
Why are school districts endorsing the no-zero policy?
Some say that it gives an underperforming student a chance to bounce back from a missed assignment or bad test day. They say a zero grade is hard to overcome, but a 55 gives a student hope of passing.
In addition, those who support no zero-grading say the practice often makes up for negative home life factors that impact a student’s ability to succeed academically. Factors such as lack of housing, home safety or even having a place to sleep may account for a failure to complete assignments or do well on exams. The non-zero policy would help students impacted by these situations to catchup by not making it impossible to over low scores.
One problem with the non-zero policy is that the padded grade a student receives may not adequately reflect what a student has learned or the effort put forward to overcome a poor classroom performance.
One of the problems has to do with the standardization of grading. The state uses a standardized grade book in which teachers enter grades that are automatically averaged. A student with four 100s and one zero gets an 80 in the class. However, if that same student received a 55 instead of a zero the student would have 91 average. It’s automated, the influence of the teacher is removed or at least minimized.
To get around the automation, the unofficial mandatory 55 grade has become the unwritten policy.
However, there is another way. It’s the way folks did it a generation ago. The old teachers gave the student the zero that he earned, but did not record the grade in their grade book immediately. Instead, the student was given additional time, or assignments to make up a failing grade. (The makeup work could only get a possible 90 not 100).
If a student failed to perform the makeup, test or assignments, the old teachers would call mama or papa, uncle or auntie and push their buttons.
If all of that failed, a big red zero was entered into their grade books. If the student didn’t learn, then the student failed.
The present non-zero system is creating a generation of entitled students who are hitting the colleges and the job market with the assumption that even if they don’t perform they are entitled to consideration.
There are home life factors that influence performance, but the final grade should still indicate a student’s knowledge.
Every high school graduate should have an academic record that reflects college or trade readiness. There is a minimum level of proficiency that both the workforce and four-year colleges expect. A high school diploma means that a graduate should meet those expectations.
Unfortunately, the non-zero policy that we follow today, waters down that expectation as we send increasingly more students to Jr. Colleges…to finish what they should have learned in high school.
Will it change?
Some educators think it probably won’t change because it’s “baked into the system.” If students receive their actual grades earned it might lead to more failures, and the careers of teachers, principals, and superintendents might be jeopardized as a result.
Some teachers are “old school” they give the grade the student earns. However, the modern teacher goes along with the program, and failing students are passed along until they are finally given a diploma.
Ask public school teachers you know about the non-zero policy of their district, you’ll be surprised at what you hear.
